Outdoor Water Use Reduction: Mistakes, Strategies & Best Practices

According to the EPA, the share of outdoor water use in the total water demand is over 30%. Also, outdoor water use offers the greatest water-saving potential that can be relatively easy to achieve. By utilizing the right landscaping practices, such as planting with nature and adaptive plants, and improving irrigation efficiency, water savings can be effectively improved.
To meet desired outdoor water-saving goals not only consumers but also utilities have certain responsibilities. Utilities should encourage water use in a way that there are always safe levels of water reserved in the municipality’s water dams. This can be achieved through time-variable pricing especially for the summer months, or seasons water levels likely to drop critical lows at the municipal reserves. There are quick and effective improvements like metering outdoor water use can be implemented immediately to identify water reduction opportunities.
This course also discusses EPA recommended best practices that consumers can safely implement to positively shift their water consumption behaviors.
Finally, outdoor water reduction is an important category in the LEED rating system, and building projects are expected (at prerequisite level), and awarded(with credit points) to reach certain thresholds. We have specifically mentioned how LEED v4.1 BD+C: New Construction addresses outdoor water reduction in order to reach desired water efficiency goals.